With an investment of $30 million, University Hospitals will be home to Ohio’s first proton beam radiation facility. Proton beam is a type of radiation treatment that delivers a more powerful punch to tumors.
Dr. Nathan Levitan, President of University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, explains:
LEVITAN: We believe that as proton therapy technology continues to develop, we’ll be able to administer a higher dose of radiation with fewer side effects to patients with certain types of cancer.
Proton therapy could be very useful for cancers of the brain, head and neck, and pelvic area, where tumors are hard to reach. Proton beams can target the specific location and shape of the tumor, while avoiding healthy tissues. More research is needed, says Levitan, but it’s a promising new therapy:
LEVITAN: This is definitely a new generation, a new technology. It certainly will be useful in certain situations where conventional therapy is not. But we don’t yet fully understand the utility of this technology.
Pending final FDA approval, proton beam radiation therapy will be available in 2014 at University Hospitals, and since the technology is becoming less costly, we can expect to see more cancer centers across the country start to offer the treatment.